Back to FAQs What are the affects of HIV/AIDS infection on children?
• Children with HIV infection often fail to grow properly. This is sometimes referred to as failure to thrive. • Children with HIV infection are more frequently affected by infectious diseases. These are often more severe than in other children. • Without antiretroviral treatment, 60-75% of children with HIV die before the age of 5 years. With treatment with antiretroviral drugs, this figure can be reduced to about 20%. • Children with HIV often face stigma and discrimination as a result of their infection.
